1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a remote control unit and, more specifically, to the key arrangement of a remote commander that is used in controlling the operation of electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Background
In recent years, it has become common that electronic apparatus, such as television receivers, VTR's, video disc players, and the like are controlled and operated using remote commanders. The arrangement of the keys on such remote commanders is predetermined by the manufacturer so as to provide the key arrangement for that particular unit that can be most easily used by the ordinary person. Nevertheless, because of the diversification of users and manufacturers, the key arrangements which are thought to be most easily used are not uniform. For instance, in the case of a remote commander used to control the operation of a VTR, the user who executes a number of editing operations frequently uses the operation keys relating to the editing process, such as still, slow pause, etc., so it is preferable that such operation keys are arranged at easily operable positions on the remote commander. On the other hand, for the user who rarely performs tape editing it is sufficient that such operation keys are arranged at any positions on the remote commander. This latter person requires that the operation keys for recording, reproducing, and the like not necessarily associated with editing be arranged at easily operable positions on the remote commander.
Nevertheless, in conventional remote commanders known heretofore, the key arrangement cannot be easily changed in accordance with the desires and operating habits of the user.
Furthermore, a remote commander is provided in correspondence with each unit of electronic apparatus, therefore, when an audio-visual system is assembled by combining a number of electronic units, a corresponding number of remote commanders are needed.
In Japanese Laid-open Patent Application 61/111089, there has been proposed a construction in which a command signal corresponding to each apparatus can be transmitted by changing a transmission card ROM in the remote commander. By using such a remote commander, a plurality of different electronic units can be operated by use of the single remote commander by inserting the card relating to that particular unit.
Even in such a remote commander, in which a command signal corresponding to the apparatus can be transmitted by changing the transmission card ROM, the key arrangement of the transmission card ROM cannot be freely set.
There also has been proposed a remote commander with what is called a learning function, in which the command signals that are output from other remote commanders are learned, so that various kinds of electronic units can be controlled by a single remote commander. By using such a commander with the learning function, a number of electronic units can be operated by one remote commander and there is no need to use a number of remote commanders.
Nevertheless, in such a commander having the learning function, in general, the names of the commands corresponding to the keys have previously been displayed or printed on the body of the commander and the command signals are learned by the user on the basis of the printed indicia on the commander. Therefore, the key arrangement actually cannot be freely set. On the other hand, in such a commander with the learning function, the command signals of that remote commander itself cannot be changed. Furthermore, in such commander, because a plurality of electronic units are controlled by one remote commander, up to one hundred different keys may have to be arranged on the remote commander main body. Thus, the operating efficiency of such a conventional commander with the learning function is not good.